BILL NUMBER: ACR 32	CHAPTERED  05/03/99

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER   19
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   MAY 3, 1999
	ADOPTED IN SENATE   APRIL 29, 1999
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY   APRIL 26, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   APRIL 26, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   APRIL 21, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Members Honda, Migden, and Shelley
   (Principal coauthor:  Assembly Member Nakano)
   (Coauthors:  Assembly Members Machado, Aanestad, Ackerman,
Alquist, Aroner, Baldwin, Bates, Battin, Baugh, Bock, Brewer, Briggs,
Calderon, Campbell, Cardenas, Cardoza, Cedillo, Corbett, Correa,
Cox, Cunneen, Davis, Dickerson, Ducheny, Dutra, Firebaugh, Florez,
Frusetta, Gallegos, Granlund, Havice, Hertzberg, House, Jackson,
Kaloogian, Keeley, Knox, Kuehl, Leach, Lempert, Leonard, Longville,
Lowenthal, Maddox, Maldonado, Margett, Mazzoni, McClintock, Olberg,
Oller, Robert Pacheco, Rod Pacheco, Pescetti, Reyes, Romero, Runner,
Scott, Soto, Steinberg, Strickland, Thompson, Thomson, Torlakson,
Vincent, Washington, Wayne, Wesson, Wiggins, Wildman, and Zettel)
   (Coauthor:  Senator Johnston)

                        MARCH 23, 1999

   Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 32--Relative to the Japanese
YWCA in San Francisco.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 32, Honda.  The Japanese YWCA in San Francisco.
   This measure would declare that it shall be state policy to
eradicate any vestiges of the racism of the California Alien Land Law
that was repealed in 1956, and to take steps to ensure the
enforcement of charitable trusts created in response to that law.




   WHEREAS, The California Alien Land Law was enacted in 1913 in an
atmosphere of racial prejudice and barred Japanese immigrants and
their charitable and religious organizations from owning real
property; and
   WHEREAS, In response to the California Alien Land Law, Japanese
Americans legally entered into trust agreements with non-Japanese to
hold their property in another's name so they might establish their
roots in this country and build a stable and lasting community; and
   WHEREAS, Japanese immigrant women of the Soko Bukai, an
association of Japanese Christian churches in San Francisco,
established a Japanese YWCA in that city in 1912 to work with
Japanese women and girls; and
   WHEREAS, The San Francisco YWCA policy in the early 1900's forbade
Japanese and other minority women and girls from living in their
residence halls, and this discriminatory policy was adopted,
enforced, and periodically reaffirmed by the San Francisco YWCA; and
   WHEREAS, The Japanese YWCA, in response to this discriminatory
policy, undertook a fundraising campaign to purchase a building that
would serve as a residence hall for Japanese women and girls; and
   WHEREAS, In 1920-21, the Japanese YWCA raised the funds to
purchase the building and property, with the San Francisco YWCA Board
agreeing to hold this property in trust for the permanent use of the
Japanese YWCA; and
   WHEREAS, Ten years later, noted architect Julia Morgan donated her
services to design a new Japanese YWCA building as a tribute to the
architectural heritage of Japan; and
   WHEREAS, In 1932, the Japanese YWCA celebrated the opening of its
building at 1830 Sutter Street in San Francisco and continuously and
exclusively occupied, controlled, and provided services to Japanese
women and girls from that building; and
   WHEREAS, Programs and services of the Japanese YWCA were abruptly
ended in 1942 when Executive Order Number 9066 forcibly removed all
Japanese Americans from the West Coast to inland concentration camps;
and
   WHEREAS, The Japanese YWCA leased the building during the
internment years to the American Friends Service Committee, which
provided services to Japanese American internees; and
   WHEREAS, Institutional memory of the trust agreement was lost
during the four years of internment and the years that followed, with
the Japanese YWCA never regaining control of their building; and
   WHEREAS, The Japanese YWCA building is the only surviving prewar
building constructed through the efforts, dedication, and vision of
Japanese immigrant women and is their legacy to the Japanese American
community; and
   WHEREAS, In 1996 the San Francisco YWCA threatened the existence
of the Japanese YWCA building by (1) attempting to sell the property
at its highest commercial value , (2) rejecting the Japanese American
community's request that the San Francisco YWCA honor the trust
established by the Japanese immigrant (Issei) women , and (3)
rejecting the community's good faith offer to purchase the Japanese
YWCA property to preserve it for community service; and
   WHEREAS, The Soko Bukai, whose Issei women members founded the
Japanese YWCA, today reasserts the Japanese American community's
claim to the Japanese YWCA building; and
   WHEREAS, The San Francisco YWCA steadfastly disavows the existence
of the trust agreement with the Japanese YWCA in spite of the
minutes of the San Francisco YWCA Board of Directors from the 1920's
and 1930's which document that agreement; and
   WHEREAS, The San Francisco YWCA refuses to acknowledge any legal
or moral obligations to the Japanese American community and has taken
overt actions to prevent any enforcement of the trust agreement; and

   WHEREAS, The San Francisco YWCA's refusal to honor the trust
agreement and fulfill its duties as trustee allows the YWCA to profit
from the racism of the California Alien Land Law; and
   WHEREAS, The actions by the San Francisco YWCA are in direct
contradiction to the YWCA's official imperative "to seek the
elimination of racism wherever it exists and by any means necessary";
and
   WHEREAS, The California Alien Land Law was ruled unconstitutional
in 1952 and repealed by the California Legislature in 1956; now,
therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California
declares that it shall be the policy of the state to eradicate any
vestiges of the racism of the California Alien Land Law and to take
steps to ensure the enforcement of charitable trusts created in
response to that law; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Legislature pays tribute to the contributions,
tenacity, and vision of the Issei women pioneers of the State of
California; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the Governor of the State of California, the State
Library, the State Archives, and to the author for distribution.
